Dog thrown over wall at animal rescue centre in Formby finds forever home

A Shi Tzu dog which was thrown over the wall of an animal rescue centre in Formby has found its forever home.

Mimi was dumped over the wall of the car park at Freshfields Animal Rescue in September 2022 and was discovered by one of the staff as they started a morning shift.

Staff say Mimi was terrified and wouldn't let anyone hear her, and she was very dirty with her fur so matted she could not see properly.

Staff at the kennels got to work and immediately sent her to the groomers for a haircut to get rid of all that matted fur.

Over the next few weeks they spent as much time as possible with Mimi and say she slowly began to warm to them but was struggling to adapt to being in kennels so they had to look for a foster home where she could learn to relax more.

Step forward Jim Marsden who has been a volunteer dog-walker for Freshfields for 18 months.

He happened to meet Mimi on one of his volunteering days, and it seemed like it was love at first sight.

Soon afterwards, Jim welcomed Mimi into his home, and her life began again with staff saying her personality shone through, and it became clear that she had stolen Jim’s heart.

Freshfields is now delighted to report that Jim has formally adopted Mimi, and she trotted off to her forever home with him after he signed the adoption papers in March 2023.

Jim said: "I felt so sorry for Mimi that I asked about taking her into foster care. I only intended to foster her for a couple of months, but within a day or two I knew I couldn’t give her back.

"She has really settled in and is a major part of my life.  We’re out for two walks every day totalling not less than five miles. Mimi is the best thing that could have happened to me."

Deb Hughes from Freshfields said "It is truly wonderful to see the transformation in Mimi. She’s gone from a lonely, scared, abandoned dog, to a beloved, cherished companion. It’s what we want for all our animals, and we couldn’t be happier for Jim and Mimi.

"Hopefully, Mimi’s story will show everyone that rescue animals make fantastic pets.

"Only 22% of people get their pets from a rescue centre. Over 50% of animals are still bought from breeders or online.

"f you are thinking of getting a pet, please consider adopting from a rescue centre. You’ll be changing lives, including your own".

For more information on Freshfields Animal rescue centre click here

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